Bench trial by video? This lawyer says it went better than expected
Aug 30, 2020
Exhibits were screen-shared with witnesses. Lawyers conducted cross-examinations from their offices while the judge watched from his home. And one afternoon, the proceedings ended early when a witness lost their internet connection.
These events transpired during a recent video bench trial hosted in Cook County, Illinois amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Kathy Ehrhart, a partner at Freeborn & Peters in Chicago.
Ehrhart and her firm represented two of the three defendants in a civil case focused on alleged breach of contract concerning a real estate transaction.